BCBG Max Azria / Fall 2013 RTW

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BCBG Max Azria is often identified as being a Los Angeles brand, which sounds like fashion-speak but is really just shorthand for it being based there and the clothes carrying a definitively West Coast vibe of ethereal bohemia. But the fact of the matter is that this label is Global with a capital G. Should you ever find yourself underdressed in Guam, head to the Tumon Sands Plaza mall. There’s a store there (and in Venezuela, Bahrain, Luxembourg . . . ). So as much as Max and Lubov Azria are designing for an L.A. sensibility, they are also dressing those who are simply California dreaming. That’s where their fall collection hits the mark. It was filled with all kinds of pieces that could be worn all kinds of ways in all kinds of countries for all kinds of occasions. In short, there were a lot of clothes.

Most of the looks were layered, so let’s start from the inside working out. Silk shift dresses laid the foundation of almost every look, many with swirling prints inspired by the architecture of Istanbul and style of Southern European gypsies. On top of them were cleanly knit, slouchy sweaters that lent a cool, grunge-era feeling (reinforced by the models’ beanies). Then came a choice of outerwear: massive, patchworked fur vests; quilted, utilitarian parkas with fur hoods; or baseball jackets in a mix of worked leather and rich jacquard. If you don’t think any of those would be necessary in a California climate, consider that fur and coats usually sell best in warmer cities. (That’s what air-conditioning is for.)

But some of the strongest looks were also the least layered, such as the navy and white jacquard trapeze top and pant, and the superworked leather skirt with matching short-sleeved top. Simplicity, it seems, is a universal language.